


Mombie Dearest (with a Hosie twist)

by H0siesEndgame



Series: Hosie Oneshots [4]
Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: 1x06, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Birthday, Buried Alive, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Hope finds out, Hope gives Josie a gift, Hosie, Oblivious, So gay that they hardly know what they are saying half of the time, These girls are such dumbasses, Worried Hope, Zombie Jo buries Josie, hope and josie, mutual feelings, my versiom of 1x06 if Hosie were closer than they were in the show
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28575402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/H0siesEndgame/pseuds/H0siesEndgame
Summary: After the events of 1x03, Hope and Josie actually got closer - and they've been hanging out a lot since.This oneshot is based during 1x06.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Series: Hosie Oneshots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169783
Comments: 9
Kudos: 114





	Mombie Dearest (with a Hosie twist)

Since that day in town, Josie and Hope had gotten closer. It was like that day, that 'you poked yourself' moment sparked a new friendship. Josie had wanted to get to know Hope for years, but Hope pushed herself away. She isolated herself from anyone and everyone after the death of her parents. And it was only after that day with Josie, where all they were doing was picking up trash, that Hope really tried opening up - being more social. Josie got to see Hope letting her walls down, even for a second; Josie got to see who Hope really was under that tough exterior. She got to see that smile that rarely ever made appearances.

_"You poked yourself."_

Those were Josie's words. Not once had they left Hope's mind since, despite being the result of a minor argument - though that may have been more due to Josie's smile after. The way her eyes glowed with joy, for the first time when it was just the two of them having a conversation. It was something Hope had only ever observed from afar, and it warmed her heart. Lizzie wasn't there to make snarky comments, she wasn't there to pull them apart. They could just be. 

_"Shut up."_

That was what Hope said back, joining Josie in laughter. The shiver it sent down the brunette's spine was a familiar feeling. It most definitely wasn't the first time she'd felt it. Not the first time she'd looked at Hope with a longing ache in her chest. Josie had only ever watched Hope pass in corridors, said the odd few words to her every now and then, but they'd never had a proper conversation, not until that day. Whilst it may have been hard for Hope to talk about her dead mother with others, with Josie it felt...easy. Like she could talk to her without fear of judgment. She didn't feel so sad talking about it. It was nice to hear what other people had to say about her, even if it wasn't much.

_"We all used to say how beautiful she was."_

A sentence that rung true about Hayley. Hope missed her a lot, but she knew that if Josie stuck by her side, then it would get a little easier each day. The voice in her head would say be careful, and don't get too close, she'll leave you or die like everyone else, but she decided to ignore it. For once, she thought about her happiness. Hope wanted to get to know Josie, ever since she first had a crush on her. Those feelings had always been there. It took getting close to Josie for her to fully understand how strong those feelings were. 

When it came to the twins' birthday, Hope was excited to give Josie her gift. It was the first time Hope ever had a friend to buy a birthday present for. She couldn't wait to see Josie, in what she could predict would be a beautiful outfit for her party. Hope wore a long dark red dress (almost a maroon sort of color really), with her hair up, and added some cute earrings.

A quiet knock. Hope waited outside the door, and Lizzie came to answer. She rolled her eyes at Hope, asking herself why the tribrid freakshow was at her door. 

"What are _you_ doing here?" She said, her head tilted very slightly to one side.

"I uh...I came to see your sister. Is she in?" Hope had no idea why she asked that. She had already picked up on Josie's scent. It was intoxicating to her, the first thing she'd notice when entering rooms. The first thing she noticed then, too. She worried when Lizzie's frown grew, that the girl had seen her inhaling heavily. If Lizzie saw, she didn't say anything, and Hope was relieved to have been saved from such embarrassment.

"She's in." Lizzie turned behind her and said. "Hurry up. Don't be late!" Then she passed Hope, "accidentally" nudging her with her shoulder. 

_Deep breath, Hope. You got this._

She walked in with a box in her hand, hidden behind her back, and was surprised to see Josie still in her pajamas. The party was due to start in ten minutes, and she wasn't dressed.

"Why aren't you ready yet?" She wondered, edging closer to her friend. Her rate increased, and she had no idea that she was having the same effect on Josie. The siphoner stood still, her arms crossed as she looked back at Hope. 

"Lizzie needed my help." Hope felt tempted to tell her to stop constantly putting Lizzie first, but after seeing Penelope try that for weeks, she knew it wasn't worth it - not at that moment. An argument then could have ruined Josie's birthday for her. And Hope didn't want that, which is why she nodded along. She wanted the day to be as special for Josie as it would be for her twin. It was Josie's day as much as it was Lizzie's, even if the blonde seemed to forget that sometimes.

"You got an escort to your party?" Hope looked into Josie's eyes, a wave of sadness glossing over them as she shook her head. Hope opened her mouth, ready to speak. "Well...now you do. Me." She offered, earning a wide smile from Josie, that made her melt into mush. She noticed every minor detail on Josie's face as she smiled, every muscle working. The way parts of her face crinkled as her white teeth showed. It was truly mesmerizing.

"Thanks." She chuckled lightly, her nerves getting the better of her. Josie was stood by the side of her bed, as Hope got even closer. There was only a meter or so of space between them. If either of them was brave enough, a small movement of their head could bring their lips together. Josie felt an internal panic coming on. "So, what are you doing here? Not that I don't want you here...I just-I um..." She completely trailed off. Her nerves had poisoned her words, and if she wasn't careful, she'd end up blurting out her feelings for the girl stood in front of her. That, in itself, was a nightmare. Hope didn't reciprocate those feelings, and Josie knew that. But it didn't stop her from dreaming of a world where they were together. In her head, Hope liked her back, and she wasn't faced with the harsh reality that they were only friends - nothing more.

Hope laughed, finding Josie nothing short of adorable. "I wanted to see you before the party so that I could give you this." She pulled the box from behind her back. "I know you probably want to say that I shouldn't have gotten you anything, but you deserve it. It's your birthday too." _Not just Lizzie's_ went unsaid. Hope stretched her arm out further. Josie took the box and opened it up, revealing a necklace.

"I hope all your birthday wishes come true." She smiled. Josie wasted no time and put it on instantly. Her eagerness didn't go unnoticed by Hope.

"It's beautiful, Hope."

"A beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl." Hope regretted saying it, wanted to take it back, even. She had never intended for it to become anything more than a passing thought in her head. Something she could keep to herself about how much she admired Josie. Though, when the brown eyes caught blue, Hope no longer regretted the words. Josie smiled happily, with a pink tint to her cheeks that matched Hope's. "Now I should probably leave you be to get ready but...I'll see you down there." 

Josie watched Hope leave, having been so caught up in the conversation that she failed to mention the drama she, Lizzie, and her father had experienced that day. Her biological mother was somehow back from the dead. One could safely assume that a new monster was at play. Josie didn't care, because when she first met the woman, she felt connected to her. And it seemed real. Having always felt like an outsider from her family, getting to meet Jo was a gift. It felt like a birthday gift, and she intended on taking full advantage of it. So, she got ready quickly to allow herself time to talk to her bio-mom, who she found in her father's office. So what if she was a little late? Nobody would notice.

~~~~

Hope made her way to the crowd, knowing she'd see Josie shortly. Except, the shortly turned into fifteen minutes, which turned into half an hour. Lizzie hadn't even bothered looking for her sister. All she cared about was dancing with Rafael and making sure everyone was looking at her. Hope, on the other hand, searched the entire room, checking every corner of the party for Josie. She couldn't be seen. Not anywhere. 

_She's fine. She's probably still in her room._

But when she wasn't there either, Hope knew for sure that something was wrong. She was about to head to Alaric's office when she noticed him standing outside as she peered through a window.

"Doctor Saltzman, I-" She began upon approaching him, but he didn't allow her to finish her sentence.

"Hope I need your help." He said and then she noticed what he was doing. He was holding his dead fiancé up against a tree. Hope had recognized the woman from photos in his office. Only Josette looked very much alive, just...different. Her eyes were a sort of white, with a hint of grey. Hope wanted to ask what was happening, but she knew he needed to speak, and wanted that over with quickly so she could express her concerns for Josie. Alaric did that for her. He told her exactly what had happened to Josie, and Hope felt her heart sink. The new monster had taken the form of the deceased gemini witch, or at the very least had possessed her. Controlled her. It had resulted in Josie being taken, her life at risk. It left a heavy feeling in Hope's chest like someone had the fingers gripped around her heart, and could completely crush it at any given moment.

_What if I lose her forever? What if she dies before I get to tell her how I feel?_

_I have to find her._

Hope needed to see her. Their story hadn't finished. There were still some empty pages that had to be filled. Hope couldn't let it end. Because Josie had a life to live, people who wanted and needed her, that included Hope. The tribrid had to save her. She had to find her and she had to do it fast - there was no time to waste. Each passing second was a second less air for Josie to breathe.

Wasting no time, she headed in the direction Doctor Saltzman had instructed. She was only walking at first, but she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her lungs were screaming at her. She was scared. Scared of losing Josie. Scared that Josie was feeling the exact way she was, having the same lack of oxygen. She wondered if she'd be able to find her, if her hearing would be enough to sense the girl. She gripped the shovel tighter, unaware of the nearby presence of two other students until they made themselves known. Or rather, Penelope did.

"You gonna howl at the moon wearing that?" She commented on Hope's party outfit. 

"Sorry. No time for bitchy banter." She said after looking over at Penelope, seeing MG by her side. 

_Maybe I should ask them to help. Three heads are better than one. And MG's hearing is far better than mine._

"Actually...I could use your help finding Josie." She said, containing most of her worry, not being able to prevent a slight shakiness to her voice. 

"What happened?" Penelope's face had concern written all over it. Hope wanted to punch her for that. For breaking up with Josie all those months ago, for breaking her heart then pretending as if she still cared. Though she knew, another second standing around was another second closer to losing Josie.

"Ummm...a-apparently her possessed biological mother buried her alive in the cemetery." The two, who were both good friends with Josie, joined Hope in her mission to save the siphoner, Penelope grabbing a nearby tool. Hope picked up her pace, with MG and Penelope following behind.

They darted around the area, frantically looking for Josie. Zombies came and they hit them down. MG fought the creatures off. His thoughts were going wild. He was scared of the zombies, but also in an odd way...excited. He had always loved comic books and zombie apocalypse type stories, so to him, the real versions were pretty cool. He headed off in a different direction to find his friend, leaving Penelope and Hope just behind him. They used their shovels to fight back, not using their magic. Penelope's exact words were to 'DIY it and pretend they're Lizzie Saltzman'. Hope still didn't like Lizzie, but she promised herself to be kinder to her seeing as she had gotten closer with her twin. 

MG searched in each direction for Josie. He listened carefully, blocking out anything that that wasn't useful. He listened. He focused until he eventually heard what sounded like banging against a surface. He dug deep, opened a box, and out jumped another creature. He stumbled back, falling to the ground, without a clue on what to do as the zombie crawled over him. Relief struck him when Hope came to the rescue like she always did. She slammed the shovel at its face.

"Damn it MG! Get up and find her!" Hope yelled. The corner of her eyes turned gold, but she had no time to control it. She turned to one zombie, taking its head clean off with her shovel. 

"There's too much noise." He panted, brushing himself off as he stood.

"Well listen harder. Pretend you're at a beach or something!" The anger twirled around Hope's words. She wasn't mad at him, she was mad at what had caused the situation, he just happened to fall victim to her feelings - the rage that fueled the fire in her stomach. She was mad that she hadn't saved Josie already. Hope could feel her fangs on the verge of showing, and she took a deep breath to control them.

MG closed his eyes, focusing once more when he caught on to the faint cries and screams of the one they were trying to save. He vamp sped closer to the noise, stopping above it as Hope and Penelope caught up. The vampire dug into the ground, pulling up the dirt. Faster and faster. As Hope and Pen kneeled, a hand emerged from the dirt, a quiet 'oh my god' escaping past Hope's lips. She reached for the hand, pulling with some force to get the girl out. Josie's face popped up from the dirt, she gasped for air - after not having much room to breathe for however long. Two small wet patches were under her eyes with more tears ready to fall. 

"Thank god you're okay," Hope said, and Josie looked at her for the first time since they saved her, practically throwing herself into Hope's arms. The tribrid happily embraced Josie, tight - afraid of letting go. Hope brushed a hand through the brunette's hair. She was holding back tears of her own as she whispered "The talisman. It worked." which caused Josie to pull back and reach for the cold metal. 

"What's it supposed to do?" She said between heavy breaths.

"Make quiet things heard." Her expression was so soft, and Josie could see that she had been worried, therefore she reached a hand out, and shivered when warm skin contacted hers. "MG, Penelope...go tell Doctor Saltzman that we found Josie. Tell him that she's okay." Penelope wanted to protest but wasn't given a chance when MG sped away with her. Hope, slowly and gently raised a hand to Josie's cheek, wiping away clumps of dirt and tears.

"Let me take you to your room." She said, and Josie nodded. Hope picked the girl up, making sure her hands were in appropriate places as she didn't want to make Josie uncomfortable. And Josie felt far from that as her head pressed into Hope's chest. They were outside, then they reached the main doors, and soon enough they were outside the twins' dorm. Josie was filthy, her skin marked with mud, as a reminder of that night's events. All she wanted to do was wash it all away. Hope knew that, as she knew Josie well. So, she carried her to the bathroom and set Josie down on the toilet whilst also starting to run a bath.

"I'll sit on your bed until you're out," Hope said, and she did exactly that.

Josie dipped her toes into the water, then her knees, then her abdomen, until her whole body was submerged - feeling soothed. She washed away the dirt, wishing the memories of the night would go with it. It was her birthday, and instead of celebrating, she had felt like she was going to die. In fact, she thought she would. She was prepared for it, had made peace with it. Josie thought it was her end and she wouldn't get to say her goodbyes. 

After she was clean and dressed, the two of them laid on the bed.

"Can you stay, at least until Lizzie is back? I don't...I-I can't be alone right now." Josie asked.

"Of course. I'll be here however long you need me." Hope used a quick spell to clean herself off, not wanting to leave the room for a second because Josie had asked her to stay. The gemini twin had her head in Hope's lap, and they had been sitting in silence for a good ten minutes. Hope watched Josie intensely, staring at her chest, almost as if she thought it would stop moving. The girl she was looking down at, for the first time since being pulled from the ground, seemed relaxed. Her eyes were fluttering open and closed like she was on the verge of falling asleep. But she didn't want that. She couldn't sleep yet. There were still some things she had left to say, right on the tip of her tongue. She needed to say something to Hope. A thank you. A thank you for caring and for not leaving. A thank you for being there when she needed her most. 

"I was so worried about you." Hope beat her to it, starting the conversation. It had weighed on her since the moment Alaric explained the whole situation - his fiancé coming back from the dead as a zombie, situation. She knew she had to tell Josie, let her know how she was feeling. They had agreed that for their friendship to work, they needed to be open and honest with each other about everything. Or well, not quite everything as they were both keeping the exact same secret, out of fear of rejection. "When you didn't show up to the party, my gut was telling me something was wrong...and after half an hour, I knew I needed to look for you." Hope looked into Josie's eyes, those soft, bright eyes that she adored. Except, they were a little darker. Fear had crept in, sadness too, and all Hope wanted was to get it out.

"H-how did you know where to find me?"

"I bumped into your dad, and he explained what happened. Then MG used his hearing to get your exact location."

"Well, you saved my life. So thank you." She said sincerely. Hope had to hear it. She had to hear how grateful she was. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, and this trusty little talisman." Josie wiggled the necklace around a bit.

"You're my friend. I would do just about anything for you." Hope brushed the damp hair off of Josie's face. 'Friend.' That word left a bitter taste in Hope's mouth. She longed for Josie to see her in a different way, except she didn't. Hope's feelings were one-sided. They weren't returned. She had to make peace with that.

Friend. That stung. It hit Josie right in the heart, right in the part that longed for Hope, to feel their lips touch, to be able to call Hope hers, and hers only. Of course, it was only a fantasy. A perfect fantasy where the two were together - and happy. A fantasy where they weren't restrained by Lizzie's constant bickering and sly comments aimed at Hope. It was a dream. And it was a dream she let herself have, where there was no Malivore, no monsters. Just them and their happiness. Perfect, but not the real world. The real world was one where Josie liked Hope, but Hope didn't feel the same. It was why she had always kept her feelings locked up. She could never express them. Hope would look at her silly, and think she's a creep. 'Friend.' 

_I wish I could tell her. Friends isn't what I want. I want more._

And it may seem strange, but Josie's near-death experience made her realize she couldn't live another day without being honest. Not that Hope returned the feelings, but at least if she told her she could get a clear rejection and move on. Josie understood that if their friendship meant as much to Hope as it did to her, then she wouldn't let Josie's pesky feelings change anything. So, Josie sat up on the bed, facing Hope. It was hard to figure out the best way to word things, and maybe she'd get it wrong, but she just had to say it. "Hope, I-" The door opened before she could continue. 

"Sorry, Mikaelson, family only." Lizzie snapped, before turning her focus to Josie. "Dad said he and bio-mom have something important to discuss."

"Do you mind if we have the room a minute, please?" Alaric looked to Hope.

"Sure." She smiled at Josie, winking because the others couldn't see her face. "I'll see you tomorrow, love." She said the last part quiet enough that only Josie could hear. Hope was grateful nobody else in the room had enhanced hearing. What she didn't notice was the color it formed on Josie's cheeks.

"So...there's something I need you two to do for me." Jo said, once Hope was long gone. Alaric sat on one bed, and the twins on the one opposite him. Jo explained it, and the smile Josie wore dropped. She had to say goodbye before getting the chance to know the woman. A final goodbye to their biological mother, before they siphon the very magic that was allowing her to be there.

~~~~

That night, it was impossible for Josie to close her eyes and sleep. Somehow, Lizzie had managed to doze off but she couldn't - not with the memories of the day's events. As if being buried alive wasn't hard enough, she then had to basically murder her own mother. It didn't feel fair that she had been given something and it had been taken away so quickly. All her life, she had been left to wonder what it would've been like to know the woman she was named after, and when a chance presented itself it didn't last. And it made Josie want to scream, it made her want to cry until her whole body shook, until there were no tears left. She just needed someone to talk to, to share this with. The first name she came up with was Hope, and she just so happened to have something else to say to the girl.

Escaping her room quietly, Josie strolled down the halls until she arrived at Hope's room. It wasn't that late. But was it too late? Would Hope be asleep? Josie took the gamble and knocked, which Hope answered.

"Hey. I was just thinking about you." Hope welcomed her in. She hadn't been able to sleep either.

"You were?" Josie tried to hold back her smile.

"Of course. You went through hell today, and I wasn't sure how you'd be doing."

"Well, things only got worse after you left." Josie sighed and made herself comfortable on Hope's bed, sitting with her legs crossed. The brunette told the story of the events that unfolded, how she siphoned the magic and watched her biological mother fade into nothing. She fiddled with her fingers, holding the ends of her sleeves in them. "I was so excited to be able to get to know her, but then I had to..." She sniffled. 

"I'm sorry, Jo." Hope interlinked their hands.

"I can't help feeling guilty for being so selfish." Her free hand clutched the talisman, and Hope noticed but chose not to comment. She liked that Josie was wearing her gift.

"It's okay to want things for yourself sometimes, Josie. You have nothing to feel guilty for."

"In that case, t-there's something else that I um..." Josie looked at Hope. She was going to tell her crush the truth. "Before my family walked in earlier, I was gonna tell you something...Now this might be the stupidest decision I'll ever make or quite literally the best, and it might even be incredibly selfish, but I have to say it anyway."

"What is it?" Hope wasn't sure if she should be worried, scared, or nervous. Perhaps a combination of all three was appropriate. It was now or never. She had Hope's attention, and she was ready. 

"I...I like you, Hope. And not in a 'you're my best friend' kind of way, but in an 'I have feelings for you' kind of way." Josie looked everywhere other than Hope's eyes. She didn't want to see the rejection, she didn't want to see Hope laughing and she certainly didn't want to see anger.

"Why are you telling me?" Certainly wasn't the response Josie was expecting, but it was a relatively neutral one so she'd take it.

"Because almost dying made me feel like there was no point in hiding it or denying it any longer." She shrugged and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, a habit of hers. Hope took a moment to collect her own thoughts, wondering how she would tell Josie that she felt the same way.

"Funny thing is...I had the same realization today."

What do you mean?" Hope lifted her hand to the side of Josie's face, and all Josie could do was let her eyes follow the contact. Her heart was skipping every other beat, and thumping to a strange rhythm. 

"I mean, that I don't see the point in hiding my feelings for you anymore either." Then, she moved her other hand to Josie's other cheek. "And if it's okay with you, I'd really like to kiss you right now." Her gaze dashed down to Josie's lips, then back up again. It flickered like that for a few seconds, until Josie answered.

"I'm more than okay with that." She smiled ass Hope leaned closer. The moment their lips connected, Josie forgot everything that was around her. Their lips moved together, and it was everything either of them had imagined. It was a gentle touch at first, but then Hope pulled Josie closer. The movement, the grip the tribrid placed around Josie's waist formed butterflies in the siphoner's stomach.

**Author's Note:**

> I read over this a few times, but there may still be some mistakes. If you notice any, I would appreciate it if you point them out so that I can change them :)


End file.
